On Flight 359
by condemned-2-fate
Summary: Cagalli, being the representative of ORB, is having difficulty with the council. It seems the alliances have shifted. she is sent to meet with the ZAFT chairman, though an unexpected fate awaits her.
1. Orb

hey everyone! wow. sorry it took so long to post this...i've been overwhelmed with school and dance...then my computer decided not to work. so...here it is!

depending on whether people like the story or not, i think i'll continue with it...

the pairing is AthrunXcagalli...not until later on though...

disclaimer: i do not own Gundam seed, Gundam seed destiny...or anything along those lines...

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Cagalli Yula Athha. That was the name embroidered onto a small piece of white paper, folded neatly, so that it stood upright and perfectly inline with about twelve others lining the table. It was that paper which the young girl in the neatly pressed maroon suit and blond loose hair, fiddled with. It wasn't as though she was confirming her name, or that her seat was indeed accurate, but out of habit, was weaving the paper in and around her fingers trying to calm her nerves. This however failed. Calming down was obviously not what her nerves had in mind.

Inhaling deeply, Cagalli placed the name tag back in front of where she was to sit. Glancing hastily at her watch, she came to the conclusion that she still had thirteen and a half minutes until the ORB council was to meet. It was this that she had been dreading. Sitting and talking to about twelve incredibly stubborn men, with the same opinion, lecture her on how a country _should_ be run, was enough to completely stress the princess out.

Letting her bangs cascade lightly over her forehead, Cagalli closed her eyes and felt the slight rush of wind that was wafting from the fan that circled above the table. Cagalli was now officially the representative of the neutral nation ORB ever since her father had passed away. The responsibility of such a task lay heavily on her shoulders and the council members seemed to be making things worse. Her life, at this particular moment, was chaotic. Her twin brother was with the former songstress Lacus Clyne at the orphanage doing who knows what, while Athrun Zala was…well…ever since he had rejoined Zaft, Cagalli had absolutely no idea where he was, or what he was doing.

Rubbing at her temples, Cagalli went through the meeting's schedule in her mind. Not one of the members of the senate seemed to want to cooperate or listen to her since they had first learned of Uzumi Nara Athha's death, and had put very little effort in considering her opinions. In fact, they all seemed incredibly reluctant to even acknowledge her at the meetings unless she burst something out, which ended up giving them even more leverage, because they thought of her as being naïveté and too young to represent ORB.

Concentrating her efforts into burning a hole through the table, by glaring at it, Cagalli was all too aware of the seconds that rapidly passed by. It wasn't as though she'd necessarily have to get up though. She used to stand every time a member entered the room, in order to greet them. Now, she didn't bother.

Minutes later, the door was opened, and senate members began to appear. Removing a folder from her bag, Cagalli reluctantly lifted her head in order to look at the men she would be speaking too. This was going to be a long meeting.

Cagalli's prediction had been right. The two hour meeting was drowning on to be, or feel, like it would never end. Unfortunately, the senate seemed to have come to an agreement even before they met. Yep, not including Cagalli, they decided it would be in ORB's best intentions to sign a treaty with the ZAFT council. This was a decision Cagalli would not allow. If ORB still remained the country her father had created, the neutral country would stay neutral.

After the two full hours of getting absolutely nothing accomplished, Cagalli was fed up.

"ORB is a neutral country, because that is how we pictured its ideals. Have you all gone back on your decision to follow my father?" Standing, Cagalli glanced heatedly at the people encircling the table.

"ORB still has the ideals Uzumi Athha put into place." One of the older members replied slowly, as if speaking to a small child.

"It is not your father we distrust. He was a good leader." Another member made brief eye contact with Cagalli for the first time since the meeting had begun. Cagalli felt her cheeks begin to burn. He was inferring that they distrusted her.

"ORB is a neutral nation, and it is of course your job to keep it that way. We understand that. Though, as being a neutral nation, you have to look at both sides. I feel as though you are neglecting ours." He paused briefly. "I believe that the best solution would be to seek out the ZAFT council representative and come to terms with him. It wouldn't be as though you'd have to make some sort of deal or arrangement with her per say, just speak to him about our countries boundaries."

Remaining silent for a moment, Cagalli's eyes swept across the faces of all the people in the room. What exactly were they inferring? "How would discussing issues with the council representative help improve the situation? What about the Earth Alliance?"

"Naturally, you speak to the EA representative after you return. We are merely trying to get on good terms with them. They have massive amounts of weaponry and incredible technology that it would benefit us."

Cagalli understood. Power. That was all it had been about. If the council members thought her to be that stupid, they had another thing coming. It would probably be in her best interest to go to PLANT, but she would not discuss anything the council told her to.

Every set of eyes were now on her. The low murmur of the ceiling fan hummed above them, and the faint smell of cologne continued to be drifted around the room, no doubt from Yuuna's horrible taste in hygiene products.

Considering the facts for a minute, Cagalli said nothing. They wanted her to go to PLANT to discuss the current situation with the ZAFT representative. Why wouldn't they want her to go to the EA leader first? It wasn't that difficult to figure out that a couple if not more of the ORB council belonged to the Blue Cosmos. If they did in fact want the ideals Uzumi put into action, then maybe they really do want the situation to be resolved. Or maybe they wanted to play with the upper hand and turn their backs on ZAFT after everything was agreed.

Either way, it would probably be best to speak to Chairman Dullindal and get everything cleared.

"I will go to PLANT, maybe this discussion will prove valuable." Cagalli said reluctantly, plus, she wanted these guys off her back.

"A wise decision. You will leave in tomorrow. We have prepared documents that state where we all stand on this matter that everyone will received. You will read through them on your flight there." One of the men said as they all began to stand.

It took very little time for them all to shuffle out of the room. Shrugging her bag over her shoulder, Cagalli left the room after everyone had gone. Meandering down the long, empty hallways was something Cagalli didn't really want to spend the entire day doing. Though, it allowed her to rethink everything.

Truthfully, it was knid of a strange meeting. Everything seemed to have worked out so strangely. A small throbbing pain began near Cagalli's temples. Why did the council want her to go speak to the ZAFT representative so badly?

Hearing the light sound of footsteps behind her, Cagalli turned to see an older man rounding the nearest corner. Unato Ema Seylan entered Cagalli's sight. Striding up to where she stood, Unato handed Cagalli two pieces of paper.

"This," he began pointing to one of the papers, "is your shuttle ticket for tomorrow. While the other I was handed coming down this hallway, so I am unaware of its purpose."

As quickly as he had come, he left. Though he was a member of Blue Cosmos, he also agreed that it would be best to send Cagalli to the ZAFT representative. Everything was beginning to look peculiar.

Glancing down at her ticket and written instructions, Cagalli groaned and began to walk to her quarters. The shuttle was going to be leaving at ten thirty the next night, and fly all night and through into the morning.

Stuffing the ticket and paper in her pocket, Cagalli peered down at the other note. Its delicate folds were crisp and very carefully, Cagalli opened the envelope and turned over the paper. Clean, legible handwriting illustrated the letter. No doubt the hand writing of Athrun Zala.

Rushing to the room at the end of the hallway, Cagalli closed and locked the door. Athrun better tell her where he is. The note was again unfolded so that Cagalli could read it with privacy. Although, its writing appeared to make no suggestion that such action was needed. Reading the letter, Cagalli confirmed that Athrun had given her no information that was to her benefit. In fact, he barely gave her three sentences.

Dear Representative Athha,

I have been informed of your business trip to PLANT and wish you a great success. Your shuttle is in preparations and you will be escorted by a chosen member of Zaft.

Sincerely, Athrun Zala

204 is the contact number if you need any other information.

A slightly irritated look was plastered over Cagalli's face. Not only did Athrun not even bother to say a proper hello, but he of all people had made a mistake. What kind of contact number was 204? Yep she'll just go dial that now, and make sure that even the operator thinks she's a twit.

Slouching on the soft sheets of her bed, Cagalli was not reassured. Nothing was seemingly turning out her way. She was going to be shipped off to PLANT and truthfully, she didn't think it would accomplish anything.

The entire next day went by with nothing exciting happening. Packing was proving to be the biggest challenge. How long would she be staying there? They had estimated about three days, but what if she stayed longer? What was she supposed to wear? Did it really matter?

Folding a dark green suit with cuffs and a long collar, which she had purchased a couple weeks before, Cagalli went through her list. She had her maroon suit, her new green suit, her ORB uniform, her pajamas, her toothbrush, her hair brush, some travel shampoo and conditioner…what else did she need?

With her head cocked to one side, Cagalli placed her hands on her hips and thought through the list again. The papers the council prepared! Each one of the council members got a set. They listed the opinions and preparations the individual thought was necessary to take.

Leaping over her suitcase, Cagalli opened the door and sprang down the hall. Her office was conveniently close, so she could retrieve the files quickly.

Once in her office, Cagalli peered around. Having absolutely no idea who brought her the files, or what they were supposed to look like did not help her situation. Walking around her desk, Cagalli felt her eyebrows contract, and her lips purse. They were surely mocking her. Who in their right mind would give her a stack of about nine hundred pages! Kneeling down, Cagalli skimmed through the first couple pages. It seemed that each member of the council had taken it upon himself to write just under a hundred pages on their opinion and standing in the ORB ideals. Great. The flight was to take eight hours, and she'd have to spend them all reading through the bloody files. Perfect.

With many sarcastic mutterings, Cagalli made her way back to her room with the files in hand. She'd have to get everything ready within the next couple of hours, so that she could meet with the ZAFT member who was to escort her on the shuttle to PLANT.

Placing the large pile of papers into her small, black carryon, Cagalli brushed her bangs off of her face. Hazel eyes raced over the assortment of items discarded on the floor. Scooping as many items as she could, Cagalli began to reorganize things into their appropriate and designated locations in her somewhat cluttered room.

Knowing her luck, the ZAFT escort won't even talk to her. How boring would that get?

Glancing down at her watch, Cagalli supposed that she should leave in about half an hour. That way, she could be there slightly early. Retreating to the one room that Cagalli dreaded even more than the meeting room to quite a bit of effort. Taking a deep breath in, Cagallli walked into the bathroom. Automatically, the light flickered on and white walls illuminated. Squinting at her reflection, Cagalli sighed and retrieved her hair brush.

This was of course the last and most painful step to endure. She had to get her self ready. Faint lines etched their way under the deep hazel eyes, and it gave her somewhat of a sunken look. In truth, Cagalli had been fairly stressed recently. She never bothered to put on makeup. One, because there really wasn't any point, she'd just rub it off anyway, plus, Athrun wasn't there.

Scrunching her nose, Cagalli looked down at her hand. A delicate silver ring with a small ruby lay on her fourth finger. Lifting her hand, she allowed the light to catch the gem's contours and glow deeply. Where was Athrun?

Almost thirty five minutes later, Cagalli was being driven to where she was to rendezvous with the ZAFT escort. Expertly maneuvering through the traffic, the sleek black car pulled up to the airport, or for Cagalli's case, the shuttle launch site.

Pulling a small, wheeling bag and a black carryon, Cagalli made her way towards the main lobby. Whoever was going to be accompanying her, better be wearing a ZAFT uniform, or she'd have one hell of a time finding him. Stopping briefly, Cagalli rewound. Wait, maybe it's a girl. Maybe her escort would be a girl and they'd chat the entire eight hours and watch some chick flick while eating peanuts and drinking expensive wine in tiny bottles. Normally, Cagalli was a tomboy. But on occasions where she was with a girl and a movie and wine were involved, that would be an entirely different matter.

Feeling slightly more hopeful, Cagalli bounded to the closest seat in the lobby. Drawing in a large breath, she waited. It makes things so much easier to let the other person find you, rather than spend hours searching for each other.

Any feeling of hope that the trip might not be a complete loss soon vanished. In fact, it seemed to disappear entirely when Cagalli heard a slightly irritated snort and opened her eyes.

Standing no less than two feet away was Yzak Jule. How could she not recognize him? Leader of the Jule Team. Yep, the arrogant-silver-haired-high-and-mighty-wonder was gracing her with his presence.

Blinking hesitantly, Cagalli looked up into the ice blue eyes and shocking straight bangs of the coordinator. "A hello would have been nice." Cagalli muttered. Obviously things had gotten off to a fairly bad start.

"I'm supposed to make pleasantries with the Representative of ORB who seemed to have fallen asleep? Well do forgive me. Would 'get up princess were leaving, be better'? Yzak seemed to suppress the urge to roll his eyes and grasped the strap of Cagalli's bag. Slinging it over one shoulder, he began to walk away.

Immediately, Cagalli didn't like him. This was the first time she had met him, and already, it was plaintive to see that he was a jerk. Standing up, Cagalli began to trudge after the person who would be accompanying her for the next eight hours.

A low drone of engines roared as Cagalli and Yzak boarded the shuttle. A short, brown haired man stood slightly slumped at the passenger door. Just as Cagalli passed, the man cleared his throat and spoke softly.

"Good Evening Ma'am. You're boarding flight 359. May I see your boarding pass?"

Stretching out her ticket, Cagalli waited patiently. The small man smiled and pointed to one of the seats on the right. "You're in seat A32. Have a nice flight."

Humid air drifted around the shuttle's interior. The seats smelled thickly of sanitizer and much of the confined area looked as though it had been recently cleaned. Letting her back adjust to the chairs curves, Cagalli peered around. It was strange, the number of passengers. As a regular bi-passenger shuttle craft, it holds a capacity of about fifty people, though at the particular moment, it looked as though there were only, a most, twenty.

Placing himself beside Cagalli, Yzak shifted until he was comfortable. Not looking up as the captain began giving instructions; Yzak began shuffling through his carryon.

Pushing a large tray, a small stewardess walked passed where Cagalli sat. The shuttle was in its preparations to launch. It was strange it would launch with so little passengers, though, Cagalli supposed it would merely be timing. Truthfully, who in their right mind would take a shuttle at ten thirty and fly for eight hours!

Feeling her shoulders curve, Cagalli rested her arm on the armrest and closed her eyes. A sharp, abrupt feeling that reminded Cagalli of something jabbing her, caused her to jump slightly.

"You're on _my_ armrest." Spoke a voice from just above Cagalli's head.

Blinking for a moment, Cagalli looked to her left at the annoyed ZAFT pilot. "What?"

"I said," Yzak began to sound agitated. "You, as in the person sitting next to me…is resting her arm on the post that, for the remainder of the eight hours on this damn shuttle, is mine."

Straightening her spine, Cagalli narrowed her eyes. There was absolutely no way she was just going to sit there with him making stupid comments. "Maybe you're on _my_ flight." Retorted Cagalli turning her head so that she was looking in the opposite direction.

"You're flight? How exactly did you come to that conclusion? What if I threw you off? Would you still consider it you're flight?" Yzak shoved his bag under the seat and slid his seatbelt on.

"You wouldn't throw me off the flight, because you'd be thrown in jail and loose your job. And yes, it would still be my flight."

What a stupid argument. Though it seemed to last until the shuttle was well into the air and making its way towards the earth's atmosphere.

By the time both Yzak and Cagalli were silent, the shuttle had reached the first layer of the earth's atmosphere and began to further accelerate. A vibrating feeling began at the very pit of Cagalli's stomach and began rolling up. Slinking her arms around her waist, Cagalli groaned slightly. She did not want to be sick.

Looking horrified, Yzak told Cagalli the only thing he could think of at a time like this. "Don't throw up."

Great. A comedian.

Three and a half minutes later, the shuttle broke through the Earth's atmosphere and gravitational pull, leaving Cagalli stalk white and bent over.

"It's over." An irritated voice spoke from beside Cagalli.

If she had the energy to speak, she would have put him in his place. Better yet, if she had the energy, she would have hit him so hard….but for now, her stomach hurt, and sitting there, doubled over, seemed to be slowly helping.

It seemed that Yzak had decided to let the princess recover slightly, before reopening his mouth.

Concentrating on evening out her breathing, Cagalli didn't notice when she was tapped on the shoulder. Not until the third tap, which would more likely be considered something along the lines of a jab, alerted her. Turning her head in the direction of the assault, Cagalli was face with an irritated looking Yzak. Damn. Was he still here?

"Yeah?" Cagalli mumbled, her stomach seemed to be recuperating.

Reaching down, Yzak stretched his arm under Cagalli's seat, retrieving the black carryon. Immediately, Cagalli froze. Her bag. Her bag, with her things in it. She would be damned if anyone went through her bag. No, he would be damned it he went through her bag.

Pasting a very sarcastic smile on her face, Cagalli went to take the bag. "Thanks. Now that we know you'll be able to recognize it if it's ever stolen, we can put it back."

Regrettably, it seemed as though the coordinator had other intensions. Giving a slightly impatient snort, Cagalli reached across her opponent and straight for her target. The bag.

…damn coordinators and their quick motor functions….

Reacting instantly to Cagalli's attempt in grasping the bag, Yzak held it far into the isle, making Cagalli fumble across his lap. "Miss Athha, do you really think this is appropriate behavior?"

Cagalli went ridged. Pushing herself off of Yzak, she felt her cheeks heat up. Great. Yep, just what she had pictured the flight would turn out to be.

"I-I-If….Y-…You are an arrogant jerk!" So maybe it wasn't the greatest retort. In fact, there was probably a million things she could have said to really piss Yzak off….now just wasn't the time her head seemed to want to come up with one.

Cagalli sighed. "Is there anything in particular you're looking for? Athrun never told me to bring anything you might need. So give me back my bag and I'll think about reconsidering tearing your…" Cagalli never finished her sentence, because a thick, wad of paper was shoved in her face.

Slightly dazed, Cagalli glanced down at what had landed on her lap.

"My intensions were not to patronize, I assure you." Yzak told Cagalli, though she doubted everything he said, because a huge smirk and raised eyebrows adorned his features.

"You have work to do." With that, he took out a magazine and began flipping through it.

Sitting absolutely motionless, Cagalli let her eyes follow the papers lines on the first page. The documents the council had given her. How could she forget?

Hours past since Cagalli had begun reading the papers. It had to be at least one in the morning and fatigue was slowly washing over her. Next to her, Yzak continued to read magazines, though whether or not he was actually reading them, it was too hard to tell.

Silence lingered amongst the chairs and passengers throughout the shuttle. The majority of the passengers were watching the flight movie, asleep, or found some balance between the two. This of course did not include Cagalli or Yzak. Yzak seemed to be able to keep up without feeling restless, while Cagalli continued to read the files.

Each page seemed to drone on, and the more she read it, the more it all sounded the same. Every so often, she'd turn the paper, hoping to find something different. It never happened.

It was time to give in.

Just as a stewardess walked by, Cagalli stopped her. "Excuse me, do you think I could get a coffee? Black?"

Yzak gave her a look that clearly showed his disapproval.

"Coffee stunts your growth. It's mal-nutritious, is full of caffeine, will stain your teeth, pollute your organs, and screw up your motor functions." Yzak stated as though drinking coffee was like committing some unfathomable crime.

"Good point." Cagalli rolled her eyes. Looking back towards the stewardess, Cagalli corrected herself. "I'll have a coffee, and he'll have eight sleeping pills please." She inclined her head towards Yzak. She was tired, and in one hell of a mood. She wanted her coffee.

"She'll have water." Yzak spoke as though the subject was closed.

Twenty two minutes later, Cagalli sat annoyed with her arms crossed and glaring at the papers laying on her pull out table. Damn everything.

A half empty water sat beside her. She wanted a coffee.

Yzak seemed to have, yet again, preoccupied himself with a magazine.

Grasping the lukewarm glass of water, Cagalli sighed. The clear liquid slid around in its confinements, magnifying Cagalli's ring. Things had become so complicated.

Drinking the remains of the water, Cagalli closed the files. Who cared if she had only read half? It wasn't as though any of them were different.

Placing the empty glass on top of the papers, Cagalli reached her arms above her head. She could feel her spine elongate and try to correct the posture Cagalli had managed to attain while bent over reading.

Gazing down, Cagalli stared hazily at the glass. Then, for a moment, blinked.

Under the glass, words clearly were printed on the front paper on the bottom left hand side. Lifting the glass gently up, the words shrunk so that they were barely visible.

Placing the cup back on the corner of the pages, Cagalli saw the words magnified. Leaning her head closer, she tried to make out what the miniscule writing held. It was slightly difficult, because, though magnified, it was tiny and blurry. Cagalli pressed her face to the top of the glass and squinted. After a moment, she flipped the glass over and tried again.

Yzak sat and watched the representative of ORB lean over her glass. Maybe he should have let her drink the coffee…..

Squinting her eyes further, Cagalli could make out the writing.

_This is a message to the ORB council, disregarding Cagalli Yula Athha. This transcript's purpose it to create an awareness of our plans. It seems the government has gone astray and appropriate action must be taken._

_On flight 359, at 2:17 a.m. a chain reaction will take place and an explosive will be activated. All members aboard the flight, including the detached and swayed government, along with its corrupted ideals, will be destroyed. Unato Ema Seylan will take the place of Representative. _

Cagalli remained stoic. They were going to explode the shuttle. They were going to try to kill her.

Very slowly and methodically, Cagalli bent her head and looked at her watch. The numbers flashed. 2:00.


	2. a misshap

Hey guys. Okay. I know it's been forever since I updated, and randomly, I decided that I wanted to continue the story. So here it is. Sigh. If anyone is actually keeping up with this, tell me what you think. After re-reading the first chap, I'm not sure I liked the whole idea. Oh well. Lol. This chapy begins right where the last one ended off.

* * *

An empty water glass sat on the small tray in front of Cagalli Yula Athha, magnifying the tiny printed letters on the bottom left of the page. The constant hum of the engine and arbitrary noises that carried through the small shuttle seemed to drone into nothing more than background noise as Cagalli pushed the sounds to the back of her mind. Apart from her accelerated heart beat, everything around her seemed to be in slow motion. Her mind reeled and nothing seemed to be adding up. 

Pressing her face back down to the glass, Cagalli re-read the phrase.

_This is a message to the ORB council, disregarding Cagalli Yula Athha. This transcript's purpose it to create an awareness of our plans. It seems the government has gone astray and appropriate action must be taken._

_On flight 359, at 2:17 a.m. a chain reaction will take place and an explosive will be activated. All members aboard the flight, including the detached and swayed government, along with its corrupted ideals, will be destroyed. Unato Ema Seylan will take the place of Representative. _

It was the same as she had read the first time. The tiny black letters containing what was seemingly her fate.

Was this some kind of joke?

Feeling as though every breath she took became more labored, Cagalli shifted the glass again. There was no draft of fresh air in the proximity of her seat to the one in front of her, and Cagalli felt as though she might develop some sort of cluster-phobia. Okay, so she had never been afraid of small spaces before, but being trapped on a shuttle that might explode on you is a little more than nerve racking.

Looking to her one side, Cagalli could only see the dark mass that engulfed the ship and cradled the tiny stars. On her other side, sat Yzak. Yzak, she noted, was staring straight at her making a face that clearly stated _'you were staring at your empty glass and mumbling to yourself….I'm sending you to some sort of asylum.'_ She didn't have time for this.

"I'm going to the bathroom." Standing up abruptly, Cagalli maneuvered around the stunned looking Yzak and down the isle towards the restroom. Glancing over, she could make out the occupants of the seats as she passed. Mothers and their children leaning on the small white pillows….everyone seemed to have fallen asleep or was at least trying to…did anyone know? Was she the only one who knew? What exactly did she know?

A throbbing that had earlier resided near Cagalli's temple was spreading through her skull to cruelly flay out at the back of her neck. The washroom didn't seem to be getting any closer as she stumbled down the narrow path between the rows of seats. Either from her reading and lack of sleep or the headache and adrenaline that was consuming her nerves, her vision blurred.

Grasping the cold metal handle to the bathroom, Cagalli slid into its confinements and let her weight rest fully on the small sink. The tiny cubical was just big enough for her to lean on the sink and stretch her arm out to touch the wall opposite. Her lungs contracted and expanded trying to feed air to the oxygen deprived sections of her body. One of theses such sections seemed to be her head. Feeling the room spin and thoughts flooded in and out of her mind caused a sickening feeling of nausea. It reminded her of the burden that had been passed when her father had died.

What was she doing?

Okay, calm down.

She had to think logically and clear.

Running the faucet, Cagalli let the cool stream of water splash over her hands and she stared at her reflection. Thick, matted chunks of blond hair hung across her forehead and eyes, concealing her dread.

Unato Ema Seylan, Yuna and the other members of the Orb council were planning on getting rid of her. No, they were planning on murdering everyone inside the shuttle. Did ZAFT know? No, they couldn't possibly….Orb is trying to make it look like an accident…they even sent her an escort….ZAFT thinks Orb has decided to see their side of things….how would the Orb council have concealed the explosive? They didn't…"_On flight 359, at 2:17 a.m. a chain reaction will take place and an explosive will be activated"_ a chain reaction….some sort of spark will be initiated and an explosion will happen somewhere else….like the engine….

"Okay, stay calm. Breathe." great. Now she was practically talking to herself.

She was right about one thing; Unato Sevlan was all about power. How to gain it and keep it.

Cagalli turned the tap off and closed her exhausted eyes, running her fingers through her hair. What could she possibly do? They were out in the middle of space for god's sake? What the hell what she supposed to do? There are children and families on this shuttle….

"dammit."

Okay, think.

Who could help?

Who else knows….?...no one. Great.

Nervously, Cagalli glanced down at her watch. The numbers illuminated the outline of 2:06.

Okay, think faster….

Unfortunately, the newest line of shuttles was in fact crafted by supporters of Orb. In order to stay neutral, they've been created to accommodate both coordinators and naturals and by being self piloted.

Ten minutes….there isn't enough time to contact anyone. Is there?

Pressing her fingers firmly to her temples, Cagalli's mind raced frantically. Yzak? Could he do anything? He thinks she's crazy right? Cagalli let out an audible sigh and straightened her spine.

"I need to do something." Opening the small metal door, Cagalli prepared herself to do…something…anything. She was not going to die like this.

Quickly moving down the isle back towards her seat A32, Cagalli tried to even her breathing and force her mind to remain steady. She just had to think of a plan. That's all. Just a way to get everyone off the shuttle.

Once she had reached her row of seats, Cagalli stepped over Yzak and landed in her chair. Peering back to the person she had just leapt over, Cagalli confirmed that the ZAFT pilot and soldier who had such outstanding coordinator abilities and was highly respected, had fallen asleep. Some escort. Cagalli scoffed and resisted the urge to resort to violence. A good jab in the stomach was something the coordinator long had coming. If they lived through this he'd definitely get what was coming to him.

In fact, if she lived through this, she'd go and buy herself something. She hated shopping, so even the thought of it was a fairly big deal. And if she lived through this she'd have to find Athrun and…..

Where was Athrun right now? In Plant?

His letter….

Reaching under her seat, Cagalli grasped the bag she had brought with her, containing practically everything she needed for the next few days. Delving through its contents, Cagalli managed to grasp the piece of creased paper she had put there. Unfolding it, she read the script a couple times over.

_Dear Representative Athha,_

_I have been informed of your business trip to PLANT and wish you a great success. Your shuttle is in preparations and you will be escorted by a chosen member of Zaft._

_Sincerely, Athrun Zala_

_204 is the contact number if you need any other information._

Cagalli's mind flashed back to what Unato Seylan had said _"……We have prepared documents that state where we all stand on this matter that everyone will received….."_ this matter…? Documents stating where they all stand…..in this matter……Athrun…..he wanted her to have great success….in the negotiations?...or did he know?...did ZAFT really know what was going on? Was this going to spark something more than an explosive?..." _"Naturally, you speak to the EA representative after you return."_….she wasn't supposed to return was she? They were plotting something against the EA….was ZAFT and the Orb council trying to set something up….why would they send Yzak….he must have said something about wanting to stay neutral….they can afford to kill him….. if she needed any other information……contact number is 204….

Information……contact number……documents……  
if ZAFT really did know what was going on, maybe Athrun got wind of it.

The documents had the information….the contact number….the answer….

Maybe…just maybe.

This was Cagalli's last hope.

Frantically, Cagalli seized the thick booklet given to her by the council. Everyone in the council was given one….which means that there was probably other information in there. She just had to find it.

Cagalli did the only thing she could think of doing. She flipped the booklet open to page 204 and with her other hand, she grasped the empty glass of water. Sweeping the glass over the stiff pages, her hand trembled. Nothing. The corners were empty and the piece of paper wilted slightly in Cagalli's grasp.

Now what?

Skimming the papers contents, Cagalli read the brief paragraphs outlining one of the council member's opinions. It was straight foreword. Much like the others.

Tracing her finger across the wording, Cagalli stopped midway down the paper; _"if any other contact information is needed please enter your contact pin number into the registry and a staff member will direct your call to my office. The number is 13-557-246- and the discussed number issued by Unato Seylan."_

She needed more information right? Pin number….the contact number is 204…..but what is the number issued by Unato Sevlan….?

Pulling out her cell phone, Cagalli flipped open the cover and began dialing. 13-557-246…..then what? Since it was a private number, there were only three numerals left…what issued number?...flight 359…..she typed in the flight number. '13-557-246-359'

A long, agonizing silence stretched and Cagalli placed the phone to her ear and clamped her eyes shut. The cell phone would be able to respond to the satellites that were around them…..she had service….  
The line tuned in and the phone began to ring. Cagalli's eyes snapped open and she released the breath that had been held captivity inside her already aching lungs and chest. Her stomach protested to the movement of the shuttle….or maybe it was because of the situation. Either way, she wrapped her arm around her stomach in an attempt to calm both it and herself down.

The phone pressed to Cagalli's ear made a faint click and an automated voice piped in. _"if you are wanting to retrieve a voice mail or contact a member of the Orb nation council please type in your contact number." _

A shiver creped up Cagalli's spine as she typed in the numerals 204. There was no pause. A deep voice echoed from the phone and reverberated into Cagalli's ear. It was a pleasant voice, belonging to a male, and she could distinctly recognize it….but she could quite place who it belonged to. _"Two down from A32, the blue wire is to be cut and the white is to give advice. Safety is first. We need you to stay with us."_

click.  
the line was silent…..

With a quick glimpse at her watch, which flashed 2:11, Cagalli leapt over her sleeping escort and began heading back two seats….  
Ignoring the looks for a couple of the other passengers who had not yet fallen asleep, Cagalli reached seat A30….that's what it meant by two down right? Okay….the blue wire….

What blue wire?

Trying not to let her nerves get the best of her, Cagalli reached over to the arm rest. Grasping the side she slid the metal casing down to reveal the wires that connected the radio. Lying dormant, a red, blue, green, white and gold wire weaved from one end to the other intertwined and becoming lost along the tunnel that they had been enclosed in. Hanging lower, the blue wire caught her attention. Contraction her stomach she decided that the message wanted her to cut it…right? Rip might be a better term….

Yanking at the blue wire until it snapped, Cagalli desperately hoped this was what she was supposed to do. Flinging the blue wire to the floor, she took the retractable earphones and let her eyes dash back towards the white wire…now what?

"_Two down from A32, the blue wire is to be cut"_…..she did that… _"and the white is to give advice."_…..how was she supposed to get advise from a wire?!?!..._" Safety is first. We need you to stay with us."_ Safety….there was a safety booklet in the pocket right?...reaching into the seat in front of her, Cagalli retrieved the safety manual. Upon opening the pamphlet, a small piece of folded paper slid and landed softly in her lap. That was convenient.

Opening the paper, the pair of hazel eyes flew through the messy scrawl that was etched onto the one side. _"the left side of the white wire will come free. The bare end will connect with the earphones. We need you to stay with us."_ Adrenaline racing, Cagalli's hand flew to the white wire and she tugged hard on the left side until she felt it come loose and detach from whatever had been withholding it, leaving the very tip of the wire bare. In the other hand, she grasped the end of the earphones and yanked the jack off to reveal another end of bare wire that glistened in the light above the seats. Placing the earphones into her ears, Cagalli touched the ends of the wires together. Instantly sound billowed through.

"_Not all of us wish for the government of Orb and the peace treaty to become lost. Hope lies in the padlock located at the back of the shuttle. Six spaces will be lined up. For the security of this message, the code cannot be named. If activated correctly, the shuttle's system will be warned of a leak in its drive caliber and a coolant will be initiated preventing any future sparks. We need you to stay with us." _

Oh for damn's sake. What was this? A treasure hunt? If someone out there thought he was being funny, he was dead. Really.

Okay…..a coolant will be initiated preventing any future sparks…..that will stop the chain reaction…..no spark no explosion…right? Was any of this making sense?!?!

Inhaling deeply, Cagalli raced to the back of the shuttle. Faintly, she could hear her watch tick aggravating her headache and sending a horrible sensation of twisting inside her already tormented stomach. A dim light elucidated a metallic padlock blinking a red light that illuminated the number keys. Moving her fingers towards the numbers, Cagalli did the only thing she could think of doing, she typed in the numbers 359-000. nothing happened. Beginning to shake, she watched the screen, her bangs pressed against her wet forehead shinning with sweat. Why didn't it work? The screen flashed "wrong access pass"

Great.

What other pass did she know? 359….204….they all only had three letters….Cagalli Yunna Athha….C Y A…if she transferred it into the alphabet she got 3 25 1…..gathering a sharp inhale, she typed the four numbers and added two zeros into the pad….."wrong access pass…."

Okay, think. Think…..her watch ticked 2:15….two minutes. This was a bad dream, this was not actually happening.

Standing there, Cagalli felt isolated. Cut off from everything she had ever loved. Everything was being taken away from her. And she couldn't figure out the bloody access pass to make it stop. Athrun was, who the hell knew where….her father had left her to run a country…..kira and lacus were off on some damn beach running an orphanage….yzak, her escort, was absolutely NOT doing his job……what is she supposed to do?

Okay….inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale…..she could do this…she needed to do this….  
This is not about her….there are people, children, families aboard the shuttle. This is for them. She wanted to give them hope.

"_Hope lies in the padlock located at the back of the shuttle. Six spaces will be lined up."_ Hope lies in the padlock…..whoever these people are they want her to stay with them. Okay….hope lies in the padlock…hope…...HOPE……H-8 O-15 P-16 E-5……six numbers……that's it….815165….

Something grabbed her arm. Startled, Cagalli whipped around, her eyes widening in surprise as her watched beeped 2:16. She came face to face with her, once sleeping, escort. Narrowed eyes, Yzak yanked Cagalli away from the padlock and the little optimism she had left.

"I think you need to come back to your seat. Unfortunately you will need to be detained in order to maintain the safety of the passengers and yourself." Eyebrows furrowed, Yzak pointed down the isle towards seat A32.

This could not be happening. He didn't know….no one knew….his career his life, everyone's lives were in jeopardy. One minute left….now what? She couldn't possibly explain everything in a minute and hope that he'd understand.

"There's something I need to do first…" Cagalli spoke frantically trying to back away.

"If I had known that you not having your coffee would amount to such unnecessary behavior we could have made an exception and ordered you one. For damn's sake stop making a scene. You're supposed to be the representative of Orb are you not?!?" Yzak looked anything but pleased. His annoyed whispers told Cagalli as much.

She was supposed to be the representative or Orb? Did it really matter now? …..

" _We need you to stay with us."_….Athrun's voice…..It was his on the phone….on the transmission…..

She was supposed to be the representative of Orb……"I'm going to try to be the representative of Orb. No matter what." Wrenching her arm away from yzak's grip, Cagalli spun around and stretched her arm and punched in the six numbers.

Pushing back the urge to throw up, Cagalli moved back. Her eyes drifted to Yzak's slightly confused face and then to her watch. Thick air entered her lungs as her neck curved, reclining her head down. The numerals blinked and the time changed to 2:17…………

* * *

To be continued…… 

Hahahaha. What a cliffy eh? I'm going to continue it! Yay! Go me. You'll just have to wait until the next chap to find out what happens……please review!!!


	3. unfolding situation

Okaaaayyyyy! The next chapy is here. Wow. I don't think I've ever updated so quickly. Haha. Lol. This chapter, like the last one, starts off right where the one before ends….btw; anyone who is curious, this is a CagXAthrun. But yzak's role will continue to play a big part, mainly cause I like writing about him. XD

Okay…here's a quick review….then the story will continue….

…………………

She was supposed to be the representative or Orb? Did it really matter now? …..

" _We need you to stay with us."_….Athrun's voice…..It was his on the phone….on the transmission…..

She was supposed to be the representative of Orb……"I'm going to try to be the representative of Orb. No matter what." Wrenching her arm away from yzak's grip, Cagalli spun around and stretched her arm and punched in the six numbers.

Pushing back the urge to throw up, Cagalli moved back. Her eyes drifted to Yzak's slightly confused face and then to her watch. Thick air entered her lungs as her neck curved, reclining her head down. The numerals blinked and the time changed to 2:17…………

………………

A sweeping feeling of numbness cascaded down the length of the princess' spine, spreading coldly to encompass the nerves that turned icy on her arms and legs. Any colour that had once adorned her face had been drained and any movement of oxygen had ceased. Seconds passed as time pressed on, slowly and without any sign of disruption.

Dimly, Cagalli was aware that she could vaguely hear sounds around her. Murmuring sounds, almost inaudible and incoherent. Carefully, she allowed oxygen to enter her body as she inhaled gently. Ignoring the stabbing sensation as her lungs protested and pleaded for more air, she tried to focus her senses back to the present. The cold metal lock lay flushed against the wall, still blinking.

Remaining motionless, Cagalli allowed her hearing to amend to her surroundings and her eyes focused on what was around her. The shuttle was still dark and stifling tension seemed to be drifting between her and the other passengers. Almost everyone was wake and standing. Deep shadows hid their expressions, but Cagalli sensed that they weren't of thanks.

Nothing seemed to move. Straining her senses to detect anything out of the ordinary, she waited. There was no sudden movement…..her ridged body began to relax.

Peering down at the small watch wrapped around her wrist, Cagalli allowed her eyes to adjust and trace the outline of the numerals. 2:19.

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

Feeling began to creep along her fingers and spiraled up the length of her arms, returning warmth, allowing a harsh pain to settle back in Cagalli's temple reminding her that she was exhausted. The time approached 2:20.

Was that it? Had she done it?

Thoughts began to invade her mind…..was everyone okay?...would everyone be okay?...had she done what she had to?...had she stopped it?...

Trying to initiate her motor functions, Cagalli turned to see her escort. If she had the energy to laugh, she would. Hard. His face reminded her of something between a horrified and slightly paranoid expression. Eyes focused directly on her, his mouth was slightly open and his eyebrows knit together, giving him an appearance of a child who just witnessed his best friend eating something horribly poisonous, like fried broccoli that no one else would have dared touched.

Carefully taking a step forward, Yzak blocked the padlock and cautiously watched her reaction. Stunned, Cagalli met him in the eyes briefly than allowed her focus to wander to the other faces looking at her.

The entire craft was silent except for the low drone of the engine and her own breathing. All around were sets of eyes watching her as if they expected her to start dancing on her head or something ridiculous. She hadn't made that much of a spectacle….had she?

"What exactly are you doing?" Yzak's voice was slow and his words were quiet but impeccably enunciated.

Did he think he was speaking to a child? For bloody sake had she not just saved everyone's life? …….they didn't know.

"I don't think you'd believe me…." Cagalli's eyes met the ZAFT pilot's. He wouldn't believe her.

"I……"

A sharp hot feeling beginning at the very back of her neck spread across her back, cutting off her sentence. Perhaps it was her exhaustion that had finally taken its toll. Watching as an impervious haze clouded her vision, Cagalli felt the last bit of air escape her lungs. Warmth seeped across her shoulders and traveled until it reached the center of her stomach causing a horrible sinking feeling. It resembled falling.

Piercing white light streamed through her eyes causing colors to dance across her vision and a heavy weight pressed against Cagalli's already weakened knees and shoulders. Swiftly, awareness trickled away and tired muscles began to give out. Hopelessly, she felt the light and heat disappear and a dark fog settled in. A fierce cold jabbed at her finger where she wore the ring Athrun gave her. Her senses dimmed…

It was all okay…..everything would be okay…..she had done it….. " _We need you to stay with us."_ …….

Everything, her surroundings, feelings, senses, everything….went black.

Groggily, Cagalli lifted heavy eye lids and attempted to move her aching muscles. She had to roll over……she really wasn't very comfortable……stretching her arms out, she noticed that she wasn't as sore as she thought she'd be….in fact, besides a tired and somewhat 'over-used' feeling, she felt okay…..except there was still the problem of her being uncomfortable….and a throbbing ach had settled at the back of her neck and seemed to touch between her shoulder blades.

"Shouldn't you be working? Hmm? Falling asleep on the job is hardly a good impression for someone who claims to be able to run a country." An irritating voice drifted lazily to Cagalli's ears. Yzak….? What was he doing…….

Opening her eyes, Cagalli peered over to where she had thought the voice had come from…to her left…blinking a couple times, she allowed her eyes to adjust to the light and tried to fathom where she was. Realization came moments later. There she was, slumped in her seat beside her escort who was looking board reading 'PLANT society and economics'. The low hum of the engine filled her ears.

Why was she still on the shuttle? Surely he had been asleep for longer than that….the shuttle should arrive at 4:30…had she collapsed? Why was her neck bothering her so much?...nothing sparked right? No explosion?

Glancing down, Cagalli winced when she saw a red band that encircled her finger, just underneath the ruby ring that she wore. It wasn't sore, it just felt hot, as if she burnt it on something. Maybe she'd have to be more careful.

Struggling into sitting position, the representative of Orb rubbed her eyes and shifted in the seat.

"decided to join the land of the living have you?" yzak's remark bounced off of Cagalli before she decided to respond.

"oh yes and I'm sure you've been working hard while I was sleeping." After the sarcastic retort, she looked over in time to see him shrug and continue with his magazine.

"get to work Athha." He said it without even glancing up from his reading.

Jeez. Like he was doing anything that could even be mentioned in the same sentence of work…..

Work….? What work did she have to do?

Letting her eyes dart down to the fold out table in front of her, Cagalli's mouth hung open. There, on the table lay an empty water glass and a thick booklet. The booklet given to her by the Orb council….

bringing her wrist up, she looked at the time on her watch……2:17……what…?

Wait one damn minute….there's no way she could have just dreamt it up….right? no way.

Absolutely no possibility of it.

Right?

Leaning over her table, she glanced into her empty glass….there were no words…nothing…

Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale…..what was going on?

Doubling over, Cagalli reached under her seat for her carryon….an Advil was definitely needed. Her head was aching and the throbbing at her temples had only worsened. A jabbing persisted at the back of her neck. Recollection of the events that had taken place seemed to burn in her mind. It had to of been real…..Yanking the bag from under the chair, something caught her eye. Something far beneath the seat. It had been a flash of something metallic…..

Carefully, she leaned down and looked back, past where her carryon had been, two seats down there lay a discarded blue wire, torn and frayed at one end.

Straightening her spine, Cagalli inhaled deeply, attempting to clear her head of both the vicious aching and tried to reestablish some sense of what was going on. No. there wasn't any sense to be made. Nothing made sense. The torn wire….the documents….the Orb council….Athrun's instructions…..or were they her illusions?...perhaps paranoia……no. it happened. Everything. When?...had she stopped it?...what exactly had she supposedly stopped?...

Athrun knew….his letter….the contact number….the flight number…..the booklet……the calling number…….hope….the padlock….we need you to stay with us…..

Did they?

Did anyone?

Did it really matter?

Maybe all of this was fake….like her….she couldn't actually run a country. She didn't even know where her own twin was. Maybe the Orb council had the right idea.

Sighing, the princess looked down at the thick booklet and empty glass that adorned the small tray that protruded out from the seat in front of her. The tiny black letters that had been printed on the crisp white paper, hidden away for eyes that did not belong to her, had gone. They had been there. Which means someone had removed them…while she had fallen asleep…..no….passed out.

"how long have I been asleep?" staring unseeing at the tray that was spread in front of her, Cagalli addressed Yzak. Maybe she could get some answers.

A heavy, irritated exhale came from the annoyed ZAFT pilot. "I don't know. Twenty minutes." His eyes were fixed on the magazine clutched in his hands, but she knew that he was at least listening to her.

In fact, Cagalli knew that he may be lazy, arrogant, annoying, selfish and irresponsible, but he was meticulous and took his job with the utmost seriousness and demanded both respect and authority. That's probably the reason he was so good at his job. Why then had ZAFT sent him out to escort her….they definitely knew that something was going to happen to the shuttle….or at least _someone_ there did.

"no. I want to know _exactly_ how long I was asleep for." Minutes….seconds…right now, she needed information, exact information and she knew that Yzak had obviously been doing his job and would know. You'd think it would be a tiny bit creepy.

"you stirred after 17 minutes 3 seconds, but if you're asking me when your brain decided to start working, I'd say it hasn't yet." Still, Yzak's eyes remained fixed to the paper. A slight hint of a mocking grin creped into his features.

Did men actually think they were funny?

Okay, so he's an idiot, but she now had the information….17 minutes 3 seconds…that how long she was supposedly asleep for….

Nothing was adding up….why did any of this matter? Thoughts were screaming at her and she could bloody listen to all of them at once.

"what am I doing here?" closing her eyes, Cagalli whispered more to herself than anything.

"you, being the representative of Orb have to uphold your duties as such and negotiate terms with the ZAFT council. An agreement will be made in relation to what will be presented." His entire sentence sounded as though he had said it about ten times before.

"no. I mean what am I doing here now?" bringing her hands up to her eyes, Cagalli pushed slightly so that it distracted her from the throbbing in her neck and temples and the burning sensation she still felt around her finger.

"you're reading up on your colleagues opinions so that when you present your case, you are speaking regarding the feelings of the entire council rather than your biased statement which you can't seem to see past." He had put his magazine down and was looking harshly at her. For the first time, he was seizing her up as the representative of Orb. And there she was….slumped in her chair with strains of wispy blonde hair spilling limply across her face partially covering her exhausted shadowed features. There sat the woman who, for the past two years had been trying to single handedly run a country. There sat Cagalli Yula Athha. A girl who had been thrown into a world she hadn't wanted to be a part of and forced to act for the good of humanity, when humanity itself didn't know it's own good. There sat a tired, overworked, worried, girl who had just barely surpass the age of twenty. There sat someone who believed in her own capabilities about as much as her collogues did….which seemed to be minimal.

Shaking her head, Cagalli exhaled and turned towards the one person on the shuttle who she had to try to convince that something was wrong. "I mean now? Not then. I already read up on this. All of this. In fact, this time, right now, ahs already happened. I don't really know when, but it did. I found something I wasn't supposed to. For some reason I remember it." Her words slurred slightly with the weight of fatigue. She couldn't say what she was thinking. Her words weren't coming out right.

Leaning back, Yzak looked down his nose at the girl who was supposed to be governing a country. "now? Then? The then was minutes ago. There was no other now because it's what happening. I don't know what you're taking about, but maybe sleep would be good….or….maybe…." he hesitated. "perhaps it would be reasonable if you ordered he shuddered as if the very thought of such poison would infect him.

Sinking into her seat, Cagalli didn't reply. She saw something she wasn't supposed to?...

Athrun….

"Where's Athrun Zala, right now?" she had said it looking directly at Yzak Joule. She wanted a direct answer.

"ah. And the benefit of me telling you would be…?" picking up his magazine, he flipped to the page he had marked and spoke as if he was absolutely uninterested.

"how about I resist smashing your face in." he wasn't being funny. He had deserved a good pelting for sometime now.

"what great choices I've been given." Was the sarcastic reply by the pilot. "I don't know where he is or what the hell he's up to, and frankly, I don't care. He's been gallivanting around doing god knows what. All I know is that many members of the ZAFT council and EA council are furious with him. He's been organizing some group and it certainly isn't legal. You'd be wise to keep your concern within your own affairs." He hadn't said it harshly, but he wasn't pleased with Athrun to say the least.

Tilting her head back, Cagalli allowed the small light above her to pool softly over her face. That was some group…….isn't legal…..ZAFT, EA; furious with him…..?

"_we need you to stay with us"… _

Who was she protecting now?

She was certain it had been his voice. But who exactly was he referring to when he said 'we' need you to stay with us?...who was 'we'? the Orb council had wanted her dead and someone on ZAFT must have known. Or maybe it was only Athrun…. The hints….they were trying to discreetly tell her how to shut off the spark using the coolant system.

She needed to think. About everything.

"I'll be back." Standing up, Cagalli stepped around her escort and into the isle. Turning, she began her meander to the restroom. While passing, she peered around at the passengers, sleeping or seemingly dozing off. Nothing seemed out of place.

Walking, even the short distance seemed to calm her nerves, clearing her hectic mind and untangling the web of thoughts and mutterings that had dug deeply into her conscious demanding her utmost attention. Each step seemed to give her some reassurance that, maybe, if she could keep walking, everything would turn out okay. Maybe if she could keep walking, she would be able to use her momentum….to keep going. Where was she going? She couldn't even guess.

Allowing sauntering strides to carry her down the isle, Cagalli felt the cold presence of watchful eyes. Careful not to change her walking pattern, she glanced to her right where she locked eyes with a man who was seemingly wide awake and quietly gazing at her from beneath his messy fringe. There was little light in his direction, and his features were predominantly cast in a dim light if not completely consumed by shadow.

Feeling his intense, scrutinizing gaze, Cagalli's eyes faltered and reached the end of the isle and slipped into the confinements of the washroom. Exhaling audibly, she pulled on the facet lever and allowed luke-warm water to tumble over her hands and hiss at her reddened skin around the ring that adorned her finger.

Her eyes met her reflection. Her once 'put-together' look had completely left, leaving a girl with skewed hair and a ruffled suit.

There were things that had to be accomplished. She had to find Athrun. She had to find answers. She had to find Kira and Lacus. She had to convince ZAFT that it would be in everyone's best interest if Orb remained neutral….she had to…. Find one hell of a bloody powerful wand.

Chuckling, Cagalli, turned off the water and rolled her shoulders back, trying to loosen the tense muscles. Maybe she wasn't the best leader or most brilliant person for the job, but had to at least damn try to do something. Right?

A knocking at the door caused her pulse to expedite and her eyes widened in both surprise and bewilderment. Slowly, Cagalli reached out to the small metallic handle on the narrow door and wove her finders around it. Turning it, Cagalli readied herself to……run? Attack? Smile? Jump? Okay, so she was completely unprepared.

Once the door opened, there wasn't any hope of turning back….or perhaps slamming the door shut again. Whoever it was, they'd be facing the representative of Orb.

A tall lean figure stood not four feet away from the washroom doorway. He couldn't have been much older than her, with deep blue eyes that were veiled by long straggly bangs that blended with the rest of his dark brown hair. Slouching slightly, with his one hand in his pocket and his other loose at his side, he had his eyes fixed on her. Not threateningly, but intensely. They bore resemblance of vivid blue and seemed to be analyzing her from under his cloak of hair. His high cheek bones caught the light above when he lifted is head a fraction of an inch as if in thought.

Cagalli couldn't break from his gaze. This was the man that had been staring at her when she was walking down the isle.

He smiled. Not warmly….not coldly…..but distantly, like it was merely instinctive and he was speaking through his eyes. He wasn't there to make pleasantries.

Feeling her stomach lurch, Cagalli watched as the man took a few steps forward, not allowing his gaze to falter. "excuse me miss Athha." He whispered in a tranquil tone. His voice wasn't what she had expected. With his masculine jaw line and tall appearance she had expected his voice to be deep and rough. But, like his eyes, it whispered in a pleasant, profound manner.

Gawking, she moved slightly to the side, unblocking the entrance to the washroom, unsure of how to respond….'miss Athha….'….? how did he…?

Deliberately holding eye contact, he leaned forward and tilted his head so that she could still hear him when he spoke quieter. "Continue to PLANT normally. Remain focused. We need you to stay with us…." His eyes locked onto hers and they radiated the notion of serenity and calming. He wanted her to calm down. Not panic? That didn't seem to be a choice Cagalli had.

Breaking eye contact, the man ambled passed her.

Just as he brushed passed, his one hand slid a piece of crumpled paper into hers and he disappeared into the facility behind her. The door closed and a faint click told her that she was left alone in the tiny space just beyond the isle that would lead her back to her seat.

Feeling the small crumpled paper, Cagalli couldn't think of what to do. she was going to read it…..but here? Now? Her hand clasped tighter around the object secured in her fist and she allowed her thoughts to swirl. She was afraid of what was written on it. Who was this man…?..he had said the same sentence Athrun had told her….over the transmission….though she was positive the transmission had been recorded_…"we need you to stay with us"_

"Day dreaming? I thought perhaps I was lucky enough to be relieved of my duty because you had attempted to escape through the pluming. It seems I was mistaken. And here you stand. Doing nothing productive." A silver haired pilot waltzed into Cagalli's view as if he owned the galaxy.

Scoffing, Cagalli furrowed her eyebrows and placed her hands firmly on her hips. "I'll have you know that I have been very productive. I'm conducting research you know. And if I had in fact tried to kill myself in the bathroom, you would most certainly face more that being 'relieved of your duties'."

Shrugging, the coordinator tilted his head, indicating down the isle towards where their seats were located. Huffing, the princess brushed passed her escort and made her way back to seat A32, tightening her grip on the piece of paper concealed by her hand.

Shifting down the isle and back into her seat, Cagalli waited until Yzak was seated before she took the booklet that still lay on the table in front of her, and she perched it so that it sat on her thigh and leaned on the tray.

Letting a few minutes pass, the princess concluded that the ZAFT escort was finally absorbed in his reading. Lowering her hand so that it lay beside her right leg, and out of the view line of Yzak, she very slowly and methodically opened it, keeping her eyes glued to the booklet in her lap. Glancing down, she read it.

"_It is to say that we are keeping a close watch on the situation unfolding. Be patient. You will be informed soon enough. Do not place your trust in anyone. Although your eyes are closed, remember, you still have your ears, touch and voice. You are not left in the dark."_

_Admiration _

Closing her fist again, Cagalli concealed the paper again in her fist. Maybe it was time to let someone else take charge….she had done everything she could for now.

Hopefully that would be enough.

Her eyes maybe closed, but her sight wasn't cut off. She'd keep looking, maybe she'd see something….something useful or helpful or important….anything.

Sighing, she allowed herself to slowly drift to sleep. She'd deal with everything when she reached PLANT.

there it is! chapter three!! loved it? hated it? review!!! review!!!


	4. Third time's the charm

here it is!! chap 4!  
it's a little boring and filled with background stuff but it's finished! yay! i'll hopefully be uploading another chap soon...we'll see.  
R and R

* * *

An effulgent craft sped through the dark swarm of space as it proceeded to the gleaming hour-glass shaped container, called PLANT ('Productive Location Ally on Nexus Technology' which was then reformed to 'People Liberation Acting Nation of Technology' after the First War to reflect their status of having an independent state).

As the base opened, the shuttle entered the PLANT known as Januarius One. Scoping the scene, one could possibly assume that there were about 120 of these PLANTs within the area, all free floating just beyond the earth's atmosphere. Each taking decades to build and prepare for human life and excruciating amounts of money to build, with the funding supplied by the Eurasian Federation, the Republic of East Asia, and the Atlantic Federation.

Since hostilities bloomed between the coordinators and naturals, the PLANTs became independent nations governed exclusively by the Supreme Council.

Thick tension still hung bitterly between coordinators and naturals even after the Peace Treaty had been signed.

Almost unwillingly, the PLANT allowed the small craft access and engulfed the metallic body.

Lifting tired eye lids, the representative of Orb was startled by the tumultuous motion the shuttle was making. Looking cursory towards the window, the princess vaguely noted that they had in fact, made it to PLANT and were attempting to land.

Land, if that is what you would call it. It seemed more or less like they were trying desperately to halt before they ran into some building.

Wasn't that a pleasant thing to wake up to?

The shuttle jolted again, sending Cagalli's tray hap-hazardously out of its socket and only a few inches away from her lap. Scoffing, she secured the plastic board back onto the chair in front of her.

Feeling her seat belt digging into her stomach, she shifted slightly trying to relieve some of the pressure.

She'd probably have permanent red marks from it. Fabulous.

Massaging her stomach she straightened her spine, stiff form sleep and wear.

"Thanks for waking me." Cagalli stated sarcastically noting that her escort was staring blankly into nothing. The 'nothing' must have been fairly interesting, because the pilot seemed so transfixed that he didn't even acknowledge her until she jabbed him brutally with her index finger.

"ouch." Looking irritated, Yzak turned his attention to the girl sitting beside him. "Did you have any particular motive for poking me, or was it just for amusement? Because I assure you, it wasn't very funny."

_Men. _

Distinguishing the faint boredom etched into Yzak's expression, her eyebrows knit together and her mouth pressed into a thin line. He was sooooo preoccupied doing _nothing _he couldn't even of bothered to inform her that they were now arriving? After spending how many bloody hours sitting beside him, he couldn't even open his mouth to say that maybe it would be a good idea to wake up?

"Not everything's about you, you know. Jeeeez. You should have woken me up earlier." Shifting her gaze back to the window, Cagalli exhaled audibly and crossed her arms in an attempt to convey her annoyance. Some escort he was.

"If waking you had been an option, I would have. For the past few hours I could have sworn you were out cold….if it wasn't for the snoring." Smirking, Yzak leaned back into his chair.

Did he actually think he was funny?

Fuming, Cagalli shot piercing rays of death glares into the side of her escort's head. "I do not snore."

Conversation over.

Do not snap. Do not snap. Must hold in anger.

She had to have at least some self restraint after dealing with the other members of the Orb Council. And Yunna….Cagalli mentally shuddered.

If she was going to be stuck with the arrogant ZAFT pilot for the entire trip, she'd go insane. In fact, she'd probably end up jumping off something….or pushing him….off of a really tall balcony……or off of PLANT….

Brushing thick, matted blonde hair off of her forehead, Cagalli looked down at her creased suit. Laying her hands flat on her stomach, she attempted to smooth out the wrinkles. Unfortunately it seemed that, like her hair, it didn't seem to want to be tamed.

Well _fine_.

Waves of knots swam through the princess stomach, objecting to the decline the shuttle was making. Nausea settled harshly in her system.

She hated flying. In fact, she also hated councils…..and men…..and her escort…..and Athrun….

okay, maybe not so much Athrun….

After a few more jarring motions, the shuttle sputtered and came to a halt. The contents of Cagalli's stomach slid back to their original positions.

Inhale…..exhale….inhale…..exhale…..

…….she would be glad to get off the shuttle. Once everything was over, she would go home, have a bath, read a murder mystery and never, ever play 'scavenger hunt'. Nope. Not after she'd spent hours trying to stop the shuttle from blowing up….then having everything reversed and no one else knew what happened…

Unless someone else on the shuttle did know what happened….

Had everyone actually been asleep?

What about the man who had given her the note?...

Inhale…..exhale….inhale….exhale….think about this later.

"Are you going to get off the plane, or are you planning on going back to Orb. Believe me, I really couldn't care either way." Yzak seemed to feel the need to interject.

Removing her arms from her middle, Cagalli could hear shuffling around her. Peering up, she saw passengers gather their belongings and one by one, leave the shuttle.

"I'd rather stay here thanks." Why was she here again?

"mmm. That's too bad." Picking up her carry-on, Yzak turned and walked down the isle towards the exit.

Springing to motion, Cagalli fled after her escort and poor carry-on.

"Damn coordinator." Mumbling audibly, the representative of Orb and her escort made their way through the airport. Lines of people meandered through the halls and hoards of children and parents shuffled their way through the chaos. The sonorous atmosphere of the airport seemed to increase the volume of voices and movement around her, and the heavy ache seeped back to her temples.

Slumping under the weight of her carry-on, Cagalli groaned. The buzz of people around her was unnerving. Swarms of men and women rushed past her, adding to the disarray and noise of the airport.

Tautness assaulted her shoulders, stretching across to meet firmly at her back, than spiraled up to her neck. Deep darkened patches arose just under her eyes and gravity seemed to be mocking her. Under her silver ring a red area of skin embraced her finger, indicating a particularly sore spot.

Truthfully, if physical exhaustion had been the extent of it, she would be in great shape.

Her headache had relaxed slightly, but thoughts streamed in and out, tearing their way in and out of Cagalli's conscious.

The flight……ZAFT…..Athrun…..sore…..illusion?...real?...blue wire?...orb council….man on flight…..note…..transmission….time…..hope……

…..If she was in fact supposed to die on the shuttle….what was going to happen now?...

…..The Orb council had tried to set off a chain reaction….they would have needed help from someone on ZAFT…..but they had sent Yzak to accompany her…..and he definitely didn't know.…he was a commanding officer…….

…..Which means that only a select group knew about it. And it also meant that Yzak wasn't as valuable to ZAFT as he used to be.

…..And what about the man on the shuttle? What did he know? He had given her a note….and what about Athrun? And the transmissions he had given her?

Wasn't her life stressful enough without having mutiny and possible insanity to add to it?!

Although, perhaps the realization of insanity actually made her sane.

Sane in a slightly twisted way.

Struggling to keep up with Yzak, Cagalli quickened her pace. It would be just her luck to get lost.

She could just barely see his silver hair flickering in and out of the crowd of people, weaving toward the exit. Trying not to knock anyone over, including herself, she darted around the people standing in line following the path of her escort.

Her life is just one bloody big maze.

And she wanted a coffee.

Black. No sugar.

And perhaps a popsicle to go with it.

Why not?

And then she wanted…..

The door came suddenly.

Practically out of no where.

If she had seen it, she wouldn't have run into it.

Smack.

Her poor battered up nose.

Her poor deflated ego.

Rubbing at her reddened nose, Cagalli stumbled outside. The fresh air swept across her face and poured around her, as if cleansing her lungs and breathing cool breath on her aching muscles. Allowing her eyes to close, the representative of Orb stood on the curb outside of the airport and felt the wonderful feeling on sunlight. Warm rays of existence melted the heavy clouds that were suppressing her mind.

Inhaling, she heard nothing, but the wind whistle past her face and the faint murmuring of the world around her……..

"ahem."

……and Yzak.

Was he _still_ here?

Had she not managed to throw him off something yet?

Sigh.

"yes?" opening her eyes, she looked over at where she assumed he would be standing. And there he was. There, beside a tall black car, with shadowed windows and a driver.

Grasping the door handle, Yzak swung the door open and gestured for the princess to 'get-in'.

No.

She'd rather walk.

No.

She would not get in a car.

Not after she'd been sitting for hours on a shuttle.

And definitely not with him.

One more comment and she would snap.

Nope.

No way.

Noticing her hesitation, the coordinator seemed to be able to read Cagalli's mind. "you're going to a hotel, where you can sleep, eat, and wash up before your appointment with the PLANT council. So get in, or you'll be paying for gas."

Hotel?!?!?

Bounding over to the open door Cagalli bent over, ignoring the pains shooting across her back, and slipped away into its confinements. Sleep…..eat…..wash up, like a bath!...

Leaning her head back, Cagalli felt the car begin to move, with her, Yzak and the driver. This was going to be a very dull car ride.

Slowly, the car pulled out of the spot it had been parked in and began gliding down the road. The soft hum of the engine filled her ears. It wasn't like the shuttle engine. It didn't have the heavy cough that signaled that she would be trapped in space if it died. Instead, the car engine sang. It gave her a slight feeling of comfort.

Swiftly progressing down the road, she could see that they would be approaching lines of tall office buildings. She supposed the hotels would be located on the other end.

Tired muscles molded into the seat supporting her. She felt worn.

"Let's do something." Cagalli spoke up suddenly, interrupting a conversation Yzak and the driver seemed to be immersed in.

Lifting one eyebrow, the ZAFT pilot turned in his seat to face her and stared. "do something?"

"I'm board. Can't we all talk about something?" Cagalli practically pleaded. She was tired but she knew that any sleep she got now would be restless and plagued with dreams of chaos, loopholes and the flight…..and probably Athrun.

She wanted to keep her mind off everything, right now.

The driver shifted uncomfortably. "What would you like to talk about, Representative Athha?" he uttered his question with thick emphasis on the last two words. There was an uncomfortable note of displeasure that oozed off his tongue.

Sputtering, Cagalli looked shocked and couldn't help portraying her disappointment. "My name's Cagalli."

Representative Athha?

The driver shifted once more but remained silent.

So she obviously wasn't the most popular person in PLANT.

"Perhaps it would be wise if you thought through what you're going to say at the meeting?" Yzak stated it. It didn't sound like a question. Turning around, he immediately began speaking to the driver quietly. It looked as though they were picking up the conversation where they had left off.

_Fine_.

Some company you lot are.

Deciding to amuse herself, she let her head loll to one side and she stared out the window. Truthfully, she couldn't handle dwelling on what happened with the flight. Not any more. She'd have to unravel everything later. Nothing was adding up anyway.

How to amuse her self? Eyes glued to the scenery outside the window, Cagalli kept track of the things that passed…

Car.

Tree.

Bush.

Car.

Car.

Mailbox.

Sign.

Big sign.

Car.

Okay. That was dull.

The car pulled up to an enormous building. Staring up, Cagalli could see long glass panels that swept down the length of the figure, gleaming under the sunlight. Wide refulgent steps peaked out from under the shadow of a flowing archway, molding into the building itself.

Wow.

"This would be the Januarius One Liberty Hotel. This is where you will be staying, and where the meeting will be held." Yzak craned his neck to stare up at the elegant archway. "it certainly is a statement." Speaking quietly, Yzak kept his face neutral, but turned slightly towards Cagalli.

Tilting her head to one side, she heaved her carry-on onto her shoulder. "it is. I hadn't accepted it to be so elaborate." The hotel was beautiful though.

"I wasn't commenting on the hotel." Turning, the ZAFT pilot made his way up the stairs and opened the large glass door, looking over his shoulder to ensure that the representative was following.

What was he commenting on then? Cagalli, tired and feeling very lazy, trudged up the stairs after him and entered the hotel.

Winding staircases and roomy elevators laced the lobby. Yzak, after checking in, took the stairs.

Great.

What was wrong with the elevator?

Each flight of stairs seemed to be longer and more elevated than the last.

It seemed to take days to reach the seventh floor and find her room. Numbly, Cagalli could only stare slightly stunned at the beautifully embellished structure around her. Paintings and flowers adorned the walls emphasizing the curved ceiling and glimmering floor tiles.

She felt odd walking down the hallway. She felt out of place. A motel would have been fine.

Rounding a corner, she made her way down the last stretch of hallway. Royal blue and gold swept across the wall, causing it to look as though paint had been splashed fortuitously.

Uh. She was staying here?

Standing in front of the door with small gold numerals matching the ones on her card-key, she blinked.

"the meeting begins at 3:00pm on the second floor. It's now 8:00am. Don't be late. Any questions, call the desk down in the lobby and they'll direct you to my room phone and I'll answer any questions. Though I'd prefer you didn't call me unless you lit something on fire, and if that was the case, I don't think I'd do anything about it anyway." Pausing, Yzak glanced over to the person he was speaking to, ensuring that she was listening.

"…..okay…" slowly Cagalli tried to take in what he was saying.

"change into something less…." The pilot's gaze swept over the Representative of Orb seeming to be searching for an appropriate word to describe her attire. "…wrinkled…and eat something. Go over the notes you were given by the Orb Council and be prepared to speak in front of the assembly."

For a moment, Cagalli wanted to reply. She wanted to tell him that she didn't actually care what the Orb council thinks and she didn't actually want to be there. She thought better of it. There, beside her, stood yzak. She hadn't actually noticed how tired he looked. Heavy weight seemed to press down on his shoulders and his tired eyes looked dull and unfocused.

"Maybe you should get some sleep…" Cagalli let the words tumble out. He was no use as a body guard if he was falling asleep.

His eyes flicked and narrowed. "get to work Athha."

Well. That's the last time she would try to be nice.

"Besides, I think we both have a lot on our hands right now." He suppressed a sigh. "sleep it seems is out of the question."

So he did sleep. He's at least part human then.

Soldiers don't exactly have the easiest job though. Mentally Cagalli lingered on the memory of the last time she had seen Athrun….

After a moment, it seemed that Yzak didn't have anything further to say. Turning on his heal, he strode down the hallway, to turn a corner and escape Cagalli's sight.

Uh…now what?

Sliding the key across a metal scanner, the box beeped and turned green. Enveloping the auriferous knob with her one hand, Cagalli pushed open the door to reveal her room.

It could have been a hole in the wall and she couldn't have cared.

Tossing her bag on the floor, the princess flung her body onto the bed.

A moment swelled and became a couple moments. Nothing happened. Though plagued with fatigue, her mind would not succumb to sleep.

Go figure.

Sighing, she rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. Maybe she'd have a bath.

There was a good idea.

Heaving herself off the bed, Cagalli walked into the bathroom and reached over the tub to turn the faucet. A thick stream of hot water gushed out.

Inhaling, she smiled feeling her muscles begin to melt just by standing near the warmth of the water.

Carefully undressing, she hung the wrinkled suit on the railing above the bath tube. Hopefully the steam would smooth it out. Hopefully.

Sigh.

Tingling warmth trickled through her sore muscles and ebbed away at the knots that had tangled themselves in her stomach.

Twenty minutes dwindled by as Cagalli allowed her self to wash her face and relax. Truthfully, she figured it would be the last time she would get to enjoy not rushing about. In fact, it was probably going to be the last time she would get to relax and think while she was the representative of Orb. Although, she supposed that could also end in the near future….the representative part.

Wearing a house coat and socks, the princess emerged from the bathroom. The lines etched into her suit were slowly fading, but it would most likely take another hour.

It was only about ten o'clock now, so at least she had time left before she had to go speak with the assembly.

…..the assembly.

Uh….

What was she going to say?

'_hi everyone, I'm not going to talk to you about what the Orb council wants, because they're all a bunch of stuck up old men who tried to kill me on the way here…but I'm the only one who remember it.'_

Maybe not….

Plus, how many people were going to be there?

There would definitely be a representative for every ten or so colonies….which meant at least 12 members representing the PLANT nation….then the elite members of the Supreme Council (Yuri Amalfi was one of them), and Chairman Gilbert Durandal (who would at least listen to what she had to say)….there would probably be a representative from the Atlantic confederation, the Eurasian Federation and the Republic of East Asia….they would probably have a member or two from the Earth Alliance and the ZAFT army….plus a few who she didn't even know the names of…...so that would make……50?

After the Peace Treaty was signed, they Councils agreed to meet every couple years.

Great.

She just loved giving pointless speeches.

This wasn't going to be a friendly visit though. Cagalli was sure that the meeting was called for a reason. In fact, if the Orb Council and a few members of ZAFT wanted her dead…and she was supposed to make some sort of pact with Orb, even though there were a couple members of Blue Cosmos involved, something must be happening. Whether everyone knew it or not.

She couldn't let another war break out.

Not after the devastation the last one caused.

She now knew that there would be quite a crowd at the meeting. All representing a certain aspect of society. In fact, there would probably be a couple members of FAITH….

Maybe Athrun would be there….maybe not. Yzak had mentioned that Athrun wasn't exactly friendly with either side at the particular moment….

Most of the Gundams used in the war were 'dormant' and supposedly unused unless for transport and scouting. Any weapons that contained nuclear equipment or didn't abide to the 'necessary' standard, were supposed to be shut off and destroyed. Although this was the law, obviously it hadn't happened quite to that extent. There was bound to still be nukes and massive weapons out there that some idiot would stumble across and light a match and……..

…..….BOOM. there goes humanity.

There had also been an uprising not very long ago in one of the PLANTs….it took months to clear it up. It seemed someone had sparked a rebellion when a group of Naturals had visited.

Surely people could accept each other.

There still was so much hostility.

She couldn't keep track of everything any more.

In fact, she didn't even know where her brother was. Shouldn't he be here? Supporting her or something?

Okay, so maybe she didn't know what to say.

The fact remained that she needed to keep everything neutral. That's what Orb stood for after all. Equality, liberty, justice, freedom and trust. The foundation.

She would walk in and present what she stood for. The people. Naturals and coordinators. She stood for peace. For her father.

Pressing her palms against closed eyes, Cagalli felt consciousness slip away. She would have to rest before attempting to use her useless brain to any greater extent.

Thick fatigue caused the light around the representative of Orb to dim and the room around her faded into a blur.

Carefully, the princess rolled onto her side trying to suppress the want to fall back asleep. A clock ticked quietly on the bed side table indicating that it was now 1:30pm……

Sunlight swept through the tall window and flooded the tiny room, illuminating even the corners.

Why was she here again?

Ah yes, the meeting….

did she have to get up?

Yes.

What was she doing now?

Hmm….oh, the suit….she'd have to make an attempt at looking decent….

And, she'd have to stop talking to herself….even if it is only in her head. It really isn't dignified.

A huff of air escaped Cagalli's dry lips as she pushed hair out of her eyes. Grudgingly sliding off the bed, she stood hesitantly on her feet. Reaching both arms in the air, she allowed her spine to pull upwards trying to correct the posture it had been immobilized in for hours.

Ah. How she hated getting up.

_Flick_. After turning the coffee machine on, the Representative of Orb meandered to the bathroom. A maroon suit hung just above the bath tub. It looked a little less tired than her, and thankfully the wrinkles had come out.

……it took ten minutes to drag a brush through her hair…….ten to get the blasted suit on…….ten to brush her teeth and go through four pairs of bloody tights, which did not want to cooperate………and two to prepare her coffee…..

mmm…..coffee…..

black…..

…..what was the point adding milk and sugar to coffee? Didn't that take away the entire point of coffee? Why dilute it?

Her neck was feeling better and it seemed she had regained some mobility of her shoulder blades. The strangest thing though was that the area under her ring still burned.

Great.

Glancing down, the princess stared at the silver ring. The metallic band that hugged her finger gleamed back at her. Maybe it would be best if she didn't wear it to the meeting….

Maybe it would better if she went into the meeting without the ring, because there were already so many stereotypes about her out there….the ring would just add to them.

Carefully, she slipped the ring off.

It made her feel as though something inside her broke. Something small. But it hurt. She missed Athrun.

Grasping the ring in one hand, Cagalli placed it on the counter in the bathroom and turned to go out the door.

Once she had made her way across the room and entered the long hall, she was having second thoughts. She really didn't want to be doing this….the meeting…

Allowing her strides to carry her to where she saw the incandescent doors of the elevator, she clutched a folder of papers and pen. This was it. She was here for Orb.

A nervous sinking in her stomach caused her fingers to clench around the pen. Any feeling of being prepared had been swept away and were replaced by the twisting of her stomach.

Stepping into the elevator, the Representative of Orb pushed the button with a golden two embroidered into it.

The doors began to close.

Two brilliant blue eyes stared transfixed on her from just beyond the elevator. A thin familiar streak of intensity shot through Cagalli's insides.

He was the one on the plane.

Opening her mouth, Cagalli tried to say something but the walls around her darkened. He didn't blink.

Nerves at the back of her neck prickled, sending waves of hot sensations down her spine. She couldn't break eye contact. He wanted to tell her something. She needed to know.

His eyes blazed and bore into her. Azure depths pierced her own gaze.

The elevator doors closed.

Blinking, the numbers at the top of the elevator moved.

Level 6

Level 5

Level 4

Level 3

Level 2…..

Nothing moved. Air ceased moving.

Shifting her gaze to the doors, Cagalli waited a moment….they didn't open…

Instead she felt the world fade around her and dissolve to black…….

……………

Slipping the ring off and placing it on the counter, Cagalli felt empty and hurt. She missed Athrun. And this meeting wasn't going to be icing on the cake.

Inhaling, she turned and left the bathroom and the ring on the counter.

Making her way across the carpet and then out into the Hallway, Cagalli closed the room door.

Tension gripped her sides. Déjà vu.

Shaking her head, the princess took quick strides to the elevator at the end of the hall. Clutching her folder and pen in one hand she used the other to reach out and press the button beside the metallic doors. As if one queue, the sprung to life and revealed the small confined space within.

Walking in, she pressed the button labeled two.

Glancing up, Cagalli felt her vision fog over and everything became slightly hazy. Confusion burned at her scalp and threatened to over power her senses.

Pain shot through her spine and burned at her finger.

Blazing sapphire eyes stared at her.

Memories rushed through her.

What was going on?

Not breaking her gaze, Cagalli watched as his mouth moved.

"Third time's the charm?"

The doors closed.

As the elevator descended. The numbers at the top flashed the level.

Level 6

Level 5

Level 4

Level 3

Level 2….

Thick air clung to her body as she was plunged into darkness, a flicker of white hot particles embraced her limbs……

…………………..

Carefully placing the ring on the counter in front of her, the Representative of Orb inhaled and walked out of the bathroom. Nervousness plagued her system.

Walking across the room, Cagalli felt a strange sense of unease bubble inside her.

Opening the door of her room she froze. Wait.

Something wasn't right.

Hadn't she already done this?

Maybe she really was loosing it…

What was she supposed to do?

Turning back, she jogged back across her room and slipped back into the bathroom, picking up the small silver ring. The ruby shone.

Nerves at the back of her neck twined.

Gracefully the band slid across her skin to adorn the reddened patch it lay over. The skin looked even redder now that it had moments ago.

The ring seemed to fit there...on her finger.

Flexing her hand a couple times Cagalli turned and left the room.

Long strides engulfed the hallway as she kept her eyes on the path in front of her.

Approaching the elevator, she allowed her senses to wander. Her ears strained for any noise as her eyes scanned the hallway. Nothing.

Opening, the metallic doors slid apart.

Stepping in, the princess reached out and pressed the number two button.

And there, not ten feet away, was the man she knew was standing there.

How she knew? She just seemed to.

Blue eyes shone through his scraggly bangs and the smallest of smiles adorned his lips.

"Good luck." Blinking, he turned and began walking away.

The doors closed.

Gripping the folder and pen, Cagalli felt the elevator drop and the numbers moved downward.

Level 6

Level 5

Level 4

Level 3

Level 2…

Inhaling, Cagalli felt her spine straighten and elongate.

The small silver ring graced her finger.

The elevator doors slid open revealing the very meeting Cagalli Yula Athha had been dreading.

* * *

annnnnddddd there you have it.  
loved it? hated it? hmmmm...  
please review!!!!!!! 


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